by Matthew S. Bajko

It began four decades ago as a way to promote San
Francisco's new gay neighborhood in the Castro. Over the years it has
maintained its community celebration roots but also evolved into a major
fundraiser for local nonprofits.

The Castro Street Fair is marking its 40th anniversary Sunday,
October 6 with a look back at its past as it celebrates its future. And in
honor of its ruby birthday, the event's organizers are asking attendees to wear
red.

Harvey Milk, a gay man who owned a camera shop on Castro
Street, organized the first fair to drum up some excitement in the business
district catering to the city's Eureka Valley area. To honor Milk, who later
went on to become the first out person elected to public office in San
Francisco only to be murdered a year later, the fair is promoting found footage
of him filmed during the 1976 street fair on its website.

"We have posted a short clip of Milk discussing the
fair and we are excited it came together," said Fred Lopez, the current
president of the fair's board of directors.

It is the first time the video of Milk has been shown online
free for public viewing. A different clip of past fairs from the Daniel A.
Smith/Queer Blue Light Collection in the archives of the GLBT Historical
Society will be played throughout the day at the archival group's museum space
on 18th Street.

"We have previously posted excerpts of the Queer Blue
Light video from the 1976 Castro Street Fair on YouTube but not the interview with
Milk," society spokesman Gerard Koskovich told the Bay Area Reporter
.

Due to the fiscal sponsorship of Bank of the West, which
recently opened a branch in a new building at 16th, Market and Noe streets,
admission to the GLBT History Museum will be free Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Another nod to Milk, who 40 years ago this week debuted his
political column in the pages of the B.A.R.,
can be found at this year's incarnation of Barnaby's World of Wonderment, the
midway of bizarro sights and bawdy carnival games promoted as eliciting smiles
out of the "most bitter queen amongst us."

There fairgoers will find a water dunk tank modeled after
the one that Milk set up outside his camera shop during the 1977 fair to raise
money for the ballot box fight against a referendum, known as Proposition 6 or
the Briggs initiative, that would have banned gay people from being public
school teachers. A photo of Milk in the tank can also be seen at the fair's
website.

The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club is overseeing this year's
version, which will feature local politicians and other community leaders
throughout the day. Among them will be District 11 Supervisor John Avalos; gay
former District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty; and gay District 9 Supervisor David
Campos.

This week Campos called on the city's controller and
economist to conduct an economic impact study on the city's various LGBT street
festivals, from the Castro and Folsom Street fairs to the smaller Up Your Alley
fetish event and the various marches and celebrations held over Pride weekend.
While it has long been presumed that the LGBT outdoor gatherings financially
benefit San Francisco, the city has never officially studied them to determine
just how much of a fiscal jolt they provide.

Gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents the
Castro and has attracted his fair share of detractors, will not be one of the dunk
tank participants. In his annual letter for the guide to the fair, Wiener
highlighted the upcoming sidewalk-widening project along Castro Street set to
start construction in January.

The planned streetscape changes, wrote Wiener, "will
make Castro Street not only safer, but an even more attractive street and
vibrant gathering place than it is today."

This year's fair will raise money from gate donations,
suggested at $5 to $10, and beer booth purchases to be shared by 20 local
nonprofits. The lead sponsors are the B.A.R., Miller Lite, and Whole Foods Market, which plans to open its new
store at the corner of Market and Dolores streets in November.

"The reality of the situation is we couldn't do it
without the support of sponsors both large and small," said Lopez.

The headliner of the fair's main stage this year is Canadian
gender-bending musician Peaches and her Peachettes. The performance will include
a never-before-seen tribute to disco legend Sylvester, who performed at the
second annual Castro Street Fair in 1975.

Other highlights include a special "Legends Stage"
at 18th and Collingwood streets that will feature famed local DJs Stefanie
Phillips, Rolo, Blackstone, Jim Hopkins, David Harness, Page Hodel, and Pete
Avila.

"Folks have been following these DJs since the
beginning of their careers so we are lucky that they will be gracing us with
their presence this year," said Lopez. "It is a nod to the past and
future as well."

Favorites such as the Dance Alley in the parking lot off
18th Street next to gay men's health center Magnet and the country western
dance stage presented by Sundance Saloon in the parking lot behind the Castro
Theatre will both return this year.

Fair organizers are praying for a hot, sunny day as
attendance and donations usually increase under such weather conditions. At
press time the forecast called for cloudless skies and temperatures in the 70s
on Sunday.

"When it is cloudy and foggy, we don't bring in as much
money. When it is hot, more people come out and are more generous," noted
Steve Adams, a longtime Castro business leader and banker who has volunteered
the last 13 years to oversee the fair's treasury.

The fair is a smoke-free event and runs from 11 a.m. to 6
p.m. A limited edition of 100 fair posters and T-shirts with this year's logo
will be for sale at the fair's information booth near the intersection of
Market and Castro streets.